#1 Finn Balor wins and loses The WWE Universal Championship in 24 Hours
Finn Balor’s main roster debut was a momentous occasion. He had spent almost a year in NXT and had become that brand’s top star in very short order. He was destined for greatness. Everything about him, from his look to his athleticism to his fantastic entrance and alter-ego, screamed ‘megastar’. He was ready for the big stage.
It was obvious that he was earmarked for immediate success when he became the first-ever WWE Universal Championship. That was supposed to be his crowning achievement, the culmination of his efforts in NXT and abroad. Sadly, it was tainted by forces beyond his control.
Balor injured his shoulder badly in the opening moments of his tournament finals match with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Rollins executed his infamous Bucklebomb, only this time, he threw Balor into the ringside barricade instead of into the turnbuckle. That injured Balor’s shoulder so badly that he had to pop it back into place in order to finish the match.
The fact that he went almost 20 minutes is a testament to his strength.
With his injury, he was forced to relinquish his newly-acquired championship and undergo surgery, putting him on the shelf for around six months. This was a devastating announcement because Balor was clearly being earmarked for a major position on RAW.
Finally, RAW would have a different top Superstar instead of the same old favourites being shoved down the fans’ throats. That said, the silver lining in this disappointment, is that Kevin Owens is now Universal Champion, and his act very well might be the best thing that the show has to offer right now.
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